A former high school track athlete is suing the Oregon School Activities Association, several school districts and an athletic director, alleging they are to blame for an errant discus throw that seriously injured him at a meet in May.
The lawsuit seeks $60 million in damages.
As reported by ABC affiliate KATU in Portland, citing court documents, 19-year-old Benjamin Korngold was preparing to compete at Valley Catholic High School in Beaverton in May during the Lewis & Clark District Track Meet. He had completed his warmup throw with the discus and had exited the danger zone and into the designated safe zone to retrieve his discus.
He was then struck in the back of the head by another competitor's discus, and as a result suffered life-altering injuries, according to the lawsuit.
Korngold had to undergo emergency neurosurgery at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland and remains at risk of lifelong neurological and cognitive impairment, KATU's Jeff Kirsch reported Wednesday. Korngold's injuries included a skull fracture, multiple hematomas, a traumatic brain injury with seizure and loss of consciousness. He now has neurological impairment including difficulty reading and writing.
The lawsuit also alleges that prior to Korngold being struck, several previous discus throws had gone out of bounds hitting or nearly hitting bystanders, without anything being changed.
According to Korngold's attorney Jane Paulson, the discus cage and safety netting were improperly installed and maintained. Specifically, the lawsuit alleges that flagged danger zone boundaries were only 6 to 10 feet in violation of guidelines requiring a distance of at least 15 feet.
The suit also alleges it was unsafe allowing some discus throwers to retrieve their discus while other athletes were throwing.
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Per Kirsch's reporting, the lawsuit names as defendants the OSAA and Sister of St. Mary of Oregon Campus Schools, which operates as Valley Catholic High School. Valley Catholic athletic director Katherine Emerson is also a defendant in the lawsuit, along with the West Linn-Wilsonville School District in Tualatin. Riverside High School, which officiated the event, is a district member.
